Bird-house



l. G. SHROCK.

BIRD HOUSE.

APPLICATWN mu: NOV. 12. ms.

1 ,358, 1 1 9, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEE UNITED STATES JOSEPH G. SHROCK, OF MATIOON, ILLINOIS.

BIRD-House.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed November 12, i919. Serial No. 337,412

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jos rH G. SHRooK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mattoon, in the county of Coles' and State of Illinois,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bird-Houses, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bird houses and the primary object of theinvention is to provide an improved bird house constructed in such amanner that a number of rooms is provided in a structure of relativelysmall area so that a larger number of birds may be accommodated in ahouse of a given size than heretofore has been possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bird househaving the partitions thereof arranged in a novel manher to provide aplurality of rooms, each of which opens directly on the outside of thebuilding.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bird househaving a plurality of separate rooms or compartments formed thereinhaving the entrances thereof arranged in such a manner as to limit theamountof light entering said rooms, so as to provide relatively darkrooms, which have been found to be the most desirable in bird culture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved birdhouse which can be quickly taken apart or assembled so as to permit thesame to be shipped or stored in a knocked-down condition and therebyoccupy a minimum amount of space.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved birdhouse of the above character which will present a novel and pleasingappearance, one which is durable and efficient in use, and one which canbe manufactured and placed upon the market at a minimum cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is adetail perspective view of the improved bird house;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the house,

showing parts of the same in section;

Fig. Sis a plan view house, and

Fig. is a central vertical section through the house.

Referring to the drawings in detail, where similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral5 generally indicates the improved bird house, which is adapted to beheld in position by any preferred means, which as shown in the drawings,isa supporting post 6 embedded in the ground. The upper terminal of thepost 6 has secured thereto by any suitable fastening elements a baseplate 7, which forms a relatively large supporting surface for the house5. e

The house 5 is of box-like construction and includes the side walls 8,9, 10 and 11, and the upper, lower and intermediate walls 12, 13 and14-. which are arranged in spaced parallel relation. 'The upper surfaceof the lower wall 13, the lower surface of the upper wall 12 and theupper and lower surfaces of the intermediate wall 14 are provided withgrooves 15 for the reception of the upper and lower ed 'es of the sidewalls. The grooves 15 are arranged in spaced pan allei relation to theside edges of the upper, lower and intermediate walls so as to space theside walls therefrom and thus provide a landing place or veranda 16 forthe birds. As shown the house 5 includes two stories, but it is to beunderstood that the same can be constructed with any desired number ofstories and when the number of stories is increased the number ofintermediate partitions is likewise increased. The house 5 is dividedinto a number of compartments so as to form rooms for the reception ofbirds and these rooms are formed by thebross partitions 1?, which extendfrom the central portion of one side wall to the opposite side wall. Thehouse is further divided by diagonal partitions 18 which extend from.one corner of the housing to the opposite corner. The partitions 17 formcorner compart ments l9 and the diagonal partitions 18 divide thesecompartments into sub-compartments 20, each of which is of adequate sizeand shape to permit a bird to build a nest therein. 7

The outer terminals of the cross partitions l7 and the diagonalpartitions l8 engage the of the floor of the I sition by side wall andthus these partitions are held against movement in relation to eachother and the side walls. Each compartment 19 is provided with anentrance 22 and the entrances are arranged adjacent to the corners ofthe sub-compartments so as to limit the amount of light entering thesecompart-.

ments. By forming the entrances adjacent the corners of thesub-compartments, the same are positioned directly in front of thediagonal partitions which form a screen to limit the entrance of lightinto these compartments. The entrances 22 open out on the veranda 16, asclearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The top, bottom and intermediate walls 12-, 13 and 14. are held in theirassembled poremovableposts 23 which are arranged adjacent to the cornersof the house and at the central portion of the side walls. Theintermediate wall 1 1 is providedwith openings 24 for the reception ofthe posts 28 and the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls 12 and13 are provided with sockets 25 for the reception of the terminals ofthe posts. T he terminals of the posts are merely frictionally seated inthe sockets so as to permit the ready knocking down of a house whendesired, but it is to be understood that fastening elements may beprovided if so desired.

The posts 23 not only form means for holding the house in'assembledposition, but

also form a means of enhancin the appearance thereof, as owing to theposition and form of the posts, the same present the appearance ofpillars for the house. 7 A pyramidal shaped roof 26 isprovided and thesame restsupon the upper surface of the upper walll2 and forms adead-air space 27 above the compartments 19 and thereby prevents the'interior of the house from becoming unduly heated by the suns rays.

In assembling the improved bird house the side walls 8, 9, 10 and 11 arefitted in the grooves 15 in the lower wall 13 and the partitions 17 and18 are then placed in position in engagement with the upper surface ofthe lower wall 13 and the side walls prevent relative lateral movementof the partitions in relation to each other. The intermediate wall A isthen placed on the upper edges of the side walls in such a manner as toposition the same in the grooves 15. The lower portions of the upperside walls are then placed in the grooves 15 formed in the upper surfaceof the intermediate wall and the lower portions of the upper partitionsare placed on the intermediate wall. The posts 23' are then insertedthrough the openings 2d formed in the intermediate partition and in thesockets 25 formed in the upper surface of the lower wall 13. The upperwall is then placed on the upper portions of the upper side walls insuch a manner as to position the edges of the upper side walls andpartitions in the gr0oves 15 formed in the lower surface thereof and theupper tenminals of the posts 23 are placed in the sockets 25 formed inthe lower surface of the upper wall. The roof27 is then placed inposition on the upper wall and held in place by any suitable orpreferred means.

In the foregoing description it can be seen that an improved bird houseis provided of exceedingly simple and durable construction which can bereadily taken apart or assembled and when the same is in its assembledcondition displacement of the parts is absolutely prevented.

In practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical yetrealizing that conditions concurrent with the adaptation of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to. emphasize the fact that variousminor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention as set forth Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is:

r 1. A bird house of the class described comprising a boX-likestructure, a plurality of cross and diagonal partitions arranged in saidbox-like structure dividing the same into a plurality of separatecompartments, and an entrance for eachone of said compartments arrangedadjacent to the relatively narrow portion thereof.

2. In a device of the class'described, a casing including side walls,top, bottom and intermedate walls, and posts arranged to engage the top,bottom and intermediate walls to hold the same against displacement andrelative movement in relation to each other, the top and bottom wallshaving sockets formed in their ends for the reception of the terminalsof the posts. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

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